Improvement in fences



P. LANE.

No. 209,902. Patented Nov. 12,1878

NTOR

I fnmssm I UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

PETER LANE, or ELWOOD, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT lN FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 209.902, datedNovember 1'2, 1878; application filed October 16, 1878. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER LANE, of Elwood, in the county of Madison andState of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form part'of this specification.

My invention relates more especially to devices for locking thejoining-rails of railfence sections together, so as'to strengthen thefence, and also prevent the rails from becoming accidentallydisconnected or otherwise displaced from position.

Heretofore a wire loop has been fastened about the ends oftheconnecting-rails of two.

adjacent rail-sections of a fence, and then a wedge has been driven inbetween two of said rails in order to fasten the wire loop tightly aboutthe rails which are inclosed thereby.

The disadvantages of such a construction are, first, that, since thewedges arein a separate piece from the rails, there is necessarily moredifficulty attendant upon the first formation of the fence than if oneof the rails were adapted in itself to perform the'function oftightening the wire loop. A heavy drivinginstrument is required in orderto force the wedge into place, and, since the latter is driven while ina horizontal position, it is evident that the operation must be tediousand heavy on account of the position of the fence-rails relative to saidwedge. Again, when any section of a fence is to be pulled down and againreplaced to permit of passage, as is frequently the case withfarm-fences, it is almost impossible to properly drive out and againdrive in the wedge, unless some suitable driving-instrument is at hand.

My invention is designed to provide such a lockin g device for fences ofthis character, that the wire loop may be readily tightened so as tomaintain the several joining-rails in firm position, and also that thefence may be easily taken down and replaced in locked position.

The invention consists in the combination, with a rail fence, of a bandof wire or other flexible material passed about the projecting ends ofjoining-rails as the latter extend 'out beyond their joint-connection,together with a lever-fastening rail, one end of which engages with theupper portion of the band when the fastening-rail is placed at rightangles to the general line of the fence, said rail being adapted, byhaving its free end carried toward the fence, to twist the band, andwhen in position on the fence to maintain said twisted band in secureengagement as a look about the rails.

in the drawings, Figure 1 represents the position of the parts of arail-fence section as the same are located in the first step of lockin ga fence according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents the form of theband A when twisted and the lever-fastening rail B in position on thefence, thus completing the lock.

To form this device, a band, A, made of wire or other suitable flexibleconnection, is first passed about the projecting ends of thejoining-rails G D as the latter extend out beyond such joint-connection.The ends of the band are twisted or otherwise secured together, thelever-fastening rail B being at right angles to the general line of thefence, substantially as represented in Fig. l'of the drawings. Bycarrying the free extremity of this fastening-rail toward the fence, theband is twisted so as to bind about all the rails O D with-a strongtension. The length of this top rail Bis such as to enable the operatorto readily twist the loop A during this process of placing the rail inplace on the fence, since the long arm of the lever is so strongly inhis favor, and the weight of the rail so largely aids him.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

The rails C D of a worm-fence, having their intersecting ends boundtogether by the looped wire A, twisted and tightened by the upper rail,13, as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this9th day of October, 1878.

PETER LANE.

Witnesses OHARLEs NArroN, G. T. SAMUELs.

